Naruto remains silent after learning of Nagato’s painful past. Nagato claims true peace cannot exist in this cursed world, dismissing Jiraiya’s ideal as nothing more than wishful thinking.

To fulfill their dream, Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan walk through the war zone in search of Jiraiya, hoping to learn ninjutsu from him. After completing their training, the three form an organization with Yahiko as its leader.

Naruto comes face to face with Nagato and Konan. Naruto, wanting to confront the problem of their hate-filled ninja world, asks to hear Nagato’s side of the story before coming up with an answer.

Naruto and the others take on the oncoming challenges in order to find the secret technique and break the previous record set by the Fourth Hokage. But Naruto’s impulsive action leads the group into various troubles.

The story goes back to right before the start of the final rounds of the Chunin Exam. As Naruto trains in preparation for his upcoming match, he hears Jiraiya speak of “the Fourth Hokage’s legacy.”

To break the cycle of hate, Naruto heads to where the real Pain is hiding.